It has long been known to recycle glass bottles or the like carrying paper labels with a caustic bottle washing solution. For example, see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/290,626, referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,039. Also the following:
U.S. Patents 3,946,750 4,340,638 4,103,698 4,349,402 4,108,774 4,434,259 4,176,067 4,594,111 4,185,647 4,661,152 4,258,104 4,964,939 4,278,727 5,330,581 4,325,775 German Patent DE 3607720 C2 Japanese Patent 52-14634 6-17018 European Patent 0 078 918
Some, but not all, of the approaches used in the prior art taught providing a metalized label, such as made at least in part of aluminum or other metallic material that was attacked or dissolved by the caustic bottle washing solution (for example, 3% NaOH in water). When the aluminum or metal was attacked, the label was caused to essentially disintegrate.
The label is attached to the bottle or other object with an adhesive that dissolved in the caustic bottle washing solution. Due to the speeds at which commercial bottle recycling or washing occurs, it is necessary that the labels be removed from the glass or bottles in but a few, say about 3 or 4 minutes. Any longer delay would slow down existing processes and/or require an expensive equipment process redesign. When this type label and adhesive were attacked by the caustic solution, in effect the whole or integral label was freed from the bottle. The labels and bottles are then separated, the labels generally being collected integral or whole, and then had to be separated out of the washing solution.
The former method was not usable with labels made of materials not attacked by caustic solution, and the latter approach required the separate step of collecting the freed labels from the washing solution.
Additionally, many times it is desired to have a label without a metalized appearance.
Further in addition to recyclability, it is desired that the labeled bottled or the like, have a certain degree of water repellence or water resistance. This property is desired as many times in taking a labeled bottle or the like from the bottler or manufacturer to its point of sale and/or use, it may be exposed to water, rain, frost, snow, fog, high humidity or a high moisture environment, or the like, and the label must retain an attractive appearance throughout its manufacture-use cycle despite such conditions.